Last Step Outside [Book 2]

Chapter 4 Girl Talk

Renny shoves extra pasta down his throat. Sighing happily, he glances toward Lynn.
"Mate, Shane needs some too." Lynn points out.

"You don't say?" Renny raises his eyebrow. Lynn groans loudly and stomps upstairs. "Who yakked in her mutton? Speaking of which, Kodi, can we have mutton tomorrow?" Kodi, a young girl with red clothes and nice black hair sits at the far side of the table. Two seats were vacant.

"Not sure, lad. Mutton is hard to make. You can cook it yourself."

"I'm good." Renny says, dropping his fork on the table. He pushes himself away from the table and follows Lynn upstairs but into his bedroom. Shane was sitting on his bed, reading some book. Many books sit scattered around him.

"Did you know someone wrote about Bianca and Heather's adventure?" He mentions. "The sickness?" Renny holds out his hand.

"Yeah, who's it by?"

Shane looks up and turns the book around. "It's by Renny Sanchez. Hey isn't-?"

"Exactly. I wrote it dummy! Now give my book back." He snatches it from Shane's hand. "And don't touch it again."

Shane rolls his eyes, "Oh, you're a Bianca fan?"

Renny snarls. "Oh, hush up, you know you're the Bianca fan, not me."

"What?" Shane stands up and starts pacing around the room, inspecting every corner, "You're not funny..." He says with an anxious tone. "Renny, stop being such a jerk."

"I ain't being a jerk, you're being a child!" Renny retorts. Shane eyes Renny closely.

"What's with your attitude, Ren?" Shane asks, his eyes clouding with distress.

"Why're you acting so caring, Shane? You're normally eating me alive when we get into arguments." Renny objects. He looks at Shane carefully, taking in his very confused expression.

"This-, well, living here is weird to me." Shane explains. "It doesn't feel like home."

"We've never had a real home, Sherlock."

"But-, we could, I don't know, like?" Shane stammers.

Renny boils up with anger. "Spit it out!"

"Make our own team?"

Renny had to use all his strength to not punch him. "Please tell me you're joking." He whispers.

"Not one bit."

"Are you mad?"

"I just want freedom!"

"Freedom? We are free. Free from work, missions and more work! Free from that awful school who taught us nothing." Renny throws his book on his bed and storms out the door. He has never heard anyone say anything about freedom like that. Let alone leave the greatest team known to spy-kind! He throws open the glass door and plops himself on the nice lounge chair. Renny stares endlessly into the recently filled pool. Nice, straight, flat water. He wishes Shane could see the good in living with the greatest spy team. He just couldn't think of a way. Sure, they were unorganized, but they stuck together and fought through thick and thin. Especially Heather and Bianca.

"I don't like either of those two," He admits out loud.

"Who?" Renny turns his head around. He was too lost in thought he didn't hear Sam come outside.

"Sam, I didn't even notice you came out." Renny mumbles.

"Well, spy's way, I guess."

"Well, Finch, what do you want?"

Sam smiles, "Who do you not like?"

"Shane at this point." Renny breathes.

"Nah, I think it must be one of the girls." Sam smirks.

"Do you have mind-reading powers or somethin'?" Renny gasps.

"Nope, but if this is something about Shane, why're you thinking about one of the girls?"

"I'm not." Sam nods and stands up from the lounge chair next to Renny.

"I can see you're just not admitting it to yourself." He says.

"I don't like anyone here, not even Shane at this point, and he's my best friend." Renny snaps.

"Well, you've always loved this team and did everything in your power to get in. The team still hasn't fully accepted some kids Bianca found on the road into the greatest spy team, hope you know that. Heck, they haven't even accepted me!"

"I know, I know." Renny stares down at his feet. "You're not exactly helping, Finch. I'm annoyed at Shane for-."

"For saying you like Heather?" Sam finishes.

"How'd you know that?"

Sam sits back down, "Vents, mate."

"Stalker much?"

"No, I'm always listening, using that to just help to talk to people. I'm not a stalker like you though. Hope you know, you're seventeen and Heather is twenty-one, right? She just acts like a seventeen-year-old."

Oh my gosh, I had completely forgot about the age difference!

"I guess not." Sam observes Renny's face, which was covered in shock. "At least that leaves Heather for me."

"What?" Renny widens his eyes.

"The other boys are drooling over either Taylor or Bianca, especially Bianca. Kodi has Evan."

"Why are we talking about this? And since when has Kodi been dating Evan?" Renny coughs and dashes for the sliding glass door. He throws himself up the stairs to come face-to-face with Shane.

"Ugh, what do you want, Fox?" Shane sneers.

"Whoa! Chill out Shane." Renny pushes himself past Shane and plummets on to his bed.

"What's your deal?" Questions Shane closely as he stands towering over cowering Renny. Abruptly, he door bursts open, Sam stands in the doorway, panting.

"We have a call from Chief, we have a mission to do!"